Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2007-08: Little known at the start of the season, Justin Schultz’s offensive upside was high enough that some experts were seeing him as a potential first rounder in the draft. Schultz had 40 points in 57 games for Westside, and was named the Top Defenseman of his conference in the BCHL, which is no small feat for a 17-year-old. Schultz was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round, 43rd overall, of the 2008 NHL Draft.

2008-09: In his final season playing in the BCHL, Schultz posted 15 goals, 35 assists, and 29 penalty minutes in 49 games. He also managed 7 powerplay goals.

2009-10: Playing on a Wisconsin defense that is one of the deepest in the country, Schultz was able to step in as a freshman and make a contribution. He even logged some power-play minutes, finishing the season with 6 goals (including 5 on the powerplay), 16 assists, and 12 penalty minutes through 43 games.

2010-11: Schultz was one of the top defenseman in college hockey as a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin. In 41 games for the Badgers he scored 18 goals with 29 assists and was +16 with 28 PMs; scoring 9 of his 18 goals on the power play. Schultz was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the WCHA and NCAA West First all-star teams. The Badgers finished an uncharacteristic seventh in the WCHA; falling to Colorado College in a tightly-contested three-game first round playoff series.

2011-12: Schultz was the second-leading scorer for the University of Wisconsin as a defenseman in his junior year. The Badgers struggled much of the season finishing under .500 (17-18-2) for only the third time in Mike Eaves’ ten-year tenure. An assistant captain, Schultz was plus-11 with 16 goals and 28 assists and had 12 penalty minutes in 37 games. Seven of his 16 goals were scored on the power play. Drafted by Anaheim in 2008, Schultz never signed with the Ducks, becoming an unrestricted free agent, and signing a two-year entry-level contract with Edmonton In July 2012 – foregoing his senior season at Wisconsin.

2012-13: Schultz led all rookie defensemen with 27 points in his first season with Edmonton. He skated in all 48 games and scored 8 goals with 19 assists; finishing -17 with 8 penalty minutes. Schultz scored 4 of his 8 goals on the power play. He began the year with Edmonton AHL affiliate Oklahoma City during the NHL lockout and was a dominate offensive force for the Barons. He scored 18 goals with 30 assists in 34 AHL games and was +8 with 6 penalty minutes.

Talent Analysis

Justin Schultz has proven himself as one of the finest rearguards in the nation and his natural talent was evident when he had an absolutely stellar pro debut with the Oklahoma City Barons during the 2012-13 NHL lockout. He captured the Eddie Shore award as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman, after only appearing in 34 games that season. He topped off the honors with being the only rookie to win the award in its history. Following that, he had a solid first year with the Oilers squad. He has a complete offensive game, capable of igniting plays from his own zone, carrying the puck through the neutral zone, and making confident, creative plays in the offensive zone. He has shown a strong commitment to improving his defensive game and strength, although he will never be a physical force.

Future

Schultz was dealt by the Edmonton Oilers to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a third round pick.

Photo: David Musil is part of a deep and talented pool of defensive prospects for the Edmonton Oilers (courtesy of Steven Alkok/Icon SMI)

The Edmonton Oilers have a diverse group of talent in their pipeline, most notably in their pool of 13 defensive prospects. Edmonton’s 2013 first round pick Darnell Nurse has been particularly impressive in his few outings as an Oiler.

Photo: Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas’ 10th overall selection in 2013, is one of seven top-10 picks to break camp with their NHL team in 2013-14 (courtesy of Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Fall edition of the Hockey's Future ranking of the Top 50 NHL prospects continues with the prospects ranked 11-20. NHL success is at a premium as we break into the top 20 with a group made up mostly of players primed for an NHL breakout.

The Edmonton Oilers organization underwent some changes during the off-season with new general manager Craig MacTavish making some big moves at the 2013 NHL Draft as well as during the free agent frenzy. Many of the signings were already at the NHL level hence why there was not a great influx of new prospects here, but you can be sure that things will continue to be shaken up as we head into the 2013-14 season.

Photo: Taylor Hall was the first of three consecutive first overall picks made by the Edmonton Oilers from 2010 to 2012 (courtesy of Vincent Muzik/Icon SMI)

For the first time in four years, the Edmonton Oilers will not be taking the first overall pick in the NHL Draft. Although they failed to make the playoffs for the seventh straight year, the Oilers managed to climb a bit farther up the ladder and landed at 24th in the league after the regular season. Soon after came the dismissal of General Manager Steve Tambellini, only to be replaced by former head coach Craig MacTavish, who is anticipated to make some big changes for the club.

Photo: The first overall pick in 2012, Nail Yakupov finished his first NHL season with the most goals (17) and tied for the most points (31) among rookies (courtesy of Dustin Bradford/Icon SMI)

This is the second edition of the Edmonton Oilers yearly prospect awards. After missing the playoffs for the seventh year in a row, the Oilers are looking to make some big changes in their roster and have a strong reliance on a deep prospect pool. The 2012-13 season saw great improvements for some, while others fell short of expectations. The Oilers have some strong defensive prospects in the pipeline with a mix of skilled but not yet fully-developed talent on their front end.